Bill Carr Named Head Coach At UCSD
May 10, 2004
LA JOLLA, Calif. - UC San Diego Director of Athletics Earl W. Edwards announced Monday that Bill Carr has been named the head coach for the men's basketball program. The announcement concludes the process to fill the vacant position that had been open for six weeks.
"We are extremely excited that Coach Carr has agreed to join the UC San Diego family," said Edwards. "His diverse coaching background and knowledge of recruiting, especially on the west coast, made him a very logical choice. Additionally, he has a history of community involvement on the campus and in the local community wherever he has coached and that coincides well with the philosophy of this department."
UCSD is the only non-scholarship member at the NCAA Division II level and competes in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, the premier D-II conference in the country. The 23 sport program is currently ranked second in the U.S. Sports Academy Director's Cup standings, measuring the best overall athletic program in the country. UC San Diego athletics made the jump to Division II prior to the start of the 2000 fall sports season.
"This is a great opportunity for me at UC San Diego," said Carr. "I am really looking forward to being a integral part of not only the campus community, but also of the greater San Diego county as well. To be a member of a growing, successful intercollegiate athletics department that has such a high caliber of student-athlete across the board is truly an honor."
Carr spent the previous two seasons as the associate head coach at Long Beach State. Prior to arriving on Long Beach State campus, he spent three seasons as the head basketball coach for Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL. Carr has spent the past 14 seasons coaching collegiate men's basketball and brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge.
A native of Glendale, CA, Carr accumulated a career mark of 84-23 (.785) at Spring Hill, leading the Badgers to three appearances in the NAIA National Tournament. In 2000 and 2001, Spring Hill advanced to the NAIA "Elite Eight". Spring Hill accumulated a 41-9 league mark in his three seasons and lost back-to-back games only once in 107 games.
In his first season (1999-00) Carr led Spring Hill to a 29-8 mark, a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) championship and a trip to the NAIA Tournament, where it advanced to the final eight. Carr was named the GCAC Coach of the Year that season and was a finalist for the NAIA National Coach of the Year.
Spring Hill finished the season ranked 11th in the country and was one of the top-rated defensive teams in the NAIA that season. The 29 victories set a new school record as did the 16 league wins. In 2000-01, the Badgers were 29-8, finished No. 12 in the country. The 29 victories tied a school record, which he set the year before. In his final season at Spring Hill (01-02) the Badgers finished 26-7, won the GCAC title and advanced to the NAIA Tournament, where they fell in the first round. The Badgers finished the regular season ranked No. 8 in the country and were the top-ranked defensive team in the nation.
Prior to his time in Mobile, Carr spent nine years as an assistant coach at the University of San Francisco. He helped land 10 first team All-West Coast Conference (WCC) standouts to USF, including the 1998 and 2000 WCC Freshmen of the Year. USF advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1998 after winning the WCC Tournament title.
Carr attended Glendale College before moving on to USF where he lettered two years on the Dons basketball squad (1985-87). A shooting guard, Carr played on the "Back to Basketball" squad of 1985-86, the first season of the program's restart after a three-year hiatus. He would later graduate from USF with a degree in Accounting. |
